Autistic students most likely to be bullied, study finds

St. Louis (KSDK) -- A new study centered around bullying in schools finds children with autism are more likely to be targeted.

Washington University researchers said nearly 50-percent of teenagers with autism are bullied, compared with 10-percent of the general teenage population.

The information is based on interviews with 920 parents.

The survey estimates that 46.3-percent of teens with autism spectrum disorder were victimized by bullies.

Head researcher Paul Sterzing, with the University of California-Berkeley, calls on schools across the nation to incorporate strategies that address conversational difficulties that children with autism might face.

The study is available Tuesday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.